A Lesson in Marketing Strategy from Apple

20072010

You couldn’t be blamed for watching on in awe as Apple executes a pre-launch strategy. No other company seems to be capable of building anticipation and generating awareness the way Apple can. Let’s examine what it is they do that sets them so far apart.

The introduction of a new Apple product is seen more as an occasion than a launch. Initially Apple uses premium pricing to create buzz and position. Brand loyalists and innovators scramble to be the first to own the product as Apple sits back and lets the marketing happen for them.

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I don’t know a marketer who doesn’t look at Apple in awe of its sheer brilliance in marketing. While most view the Apple brand as its greatest source of equity, this article encapsulates the true genius in Apple’s marketing strategy – Behaviour Management. Most marketers still design their strategies around satisfying needs and wants, but if you observe the tactics of today’s movers and shakers, you can clearly see that their marketing is not about needs and wants – it is demand management. What Apple does so well is stimulate desired behaviour amongst consumers through tactics such as price premium, scarcity, reward, punishment, self-image and conditioned response.